Navigating University Life With a Disability

University Park: 300 acres of land that includes lush woodland, classical buildings, rolling hills and a boating lake. However, traversing this huge campus becomes less of a country stroll and more of a mammoth task if you have mobility issues. Like many students at the University, I have ongoing health concerns which mean sometimes I require mobility support - including a wheelchair - and I was struck by how difficult accessing the university buildings became. Whilst the university offers a free, pre-booked taxi service to campus, once there you have to make your own way around and this is where those beautiful rolling hills become a nightmare.

“Once the buildings have been reached then the accessibility improves with lifts, ramps and guide rails prevalent in most of the learning areas.”

From the top of the Djanogly steps I have to navigate the ramps to the Trent building where whole sections are devoid of handrails and guided ramps - thus requiring a huge amount of work on my behalf to make sure I don’t lose control. I have similar problems with other university buildings, getting to the Monica Partridge building often requires me to rely on helpful passers-by. Importantly, once the buildings have been reached then the accessibility improves with lifts, ramps and guide rails prevalent in most of the learning areas. Speaking to other students with mobility issues, all of which require the regular use of walking aids, the stories were very similar. Individually the buildings are seen to be very accessible and the university makes every effort to make sure lectures and seminars are held in rooms that are on the ground floor. But getting to those buildings is a challenge we are not always up to.

Another option offered to students is remote learning, recorded lectures, and using Teams for meetings. Yet this closes off much of university life from those who use this option and can leave students feeling isolated. The campus, and by extension university life, is so much more than attending lectures and seminars, with many societies having their meetings at University Park, and so remote learning creates an incentive to stay indoors rather than face the hills of campus.

The university is less helpful when it comes to mental health support. Whilst the emergency team and subsequent mental health workers are amazing, the funding available to them to create a team that has the time to support the entire university is woefully lacking. It’s recognised that at least one in three students will have a mental health issue at university, yet the waiting list to see a counsellor can be upwards of six weeks. Whilst the university offers support plans and suitable adjustments for those of us who suffer with mental health issues, it does not address the need for more counsellors and support workers.

As a whole, the University of Nottingham works hard to support students with disabilities, but there are some nearly insurmountable obstacles - whether they are the steep hills or crippling levels of underfunding. Getting through university is not easy, and for those of us with a disability it can be overwhelming. All we ask is to be given the support we need.

Gareth Holmes